Stress Relief Tips

Managing stress is more important to the health of the body than some realize. Stress hormones affect the respiratory and cardiovascular systems. During your body’s response to stress, you breathe faster, trying to distribute oxygen-rich blood throughout the body. This raises your blood pressure, therefore frequent or chronic stress increases your risk of a heart attack or stroke.

Here are some tips to encourage healthy living and stress management:

#1: “If it grows, eat it.  If it doesn’t grow, don’t eat it.”  Louise Hay 

This statement is so clear and simple, and so true as well.  What we put into our bodies has an effect on our body, mind and spirit.  This is not to say you have to be a vegetarian or follow a fancy diet.  It is just to get us to look at the foods we eat, and determine if this is what our bodies need or not.  Try replacing processed foods with wholesome fruits and vegetables for a week or two and see if you feel a difference.  Most likely you will.

#2: Go for a walk

Doctors recommend 30 minutes of exercise every day, and what a better way to get out and enjoy the fresh air, than going for a nice brisk walk.  Going for a walk also gives us a chance to get outside and absorb some vitamin D from the sun.  So feel the sun on your face and get outside for the summer.

#3: Catch up with family and friends

Plan an outdoor picnic or a float trip with family and friends to enjoy the beautiful summer weather.  Social relationships are so important for our stress management and everyday living, so go ahead and call your brother or sister and connect with those you love.

#4: Play with your pet

Research shows snuggling with your pet reduces anxiety and blood pressure, in addition to releasing the hormone oxytocin (known as the “love or cuddle hormone”) which helps contribute to feelings of love and well-being.

#5: Be kind to yourself with your thoughts

Our bodies will listen to what ever our mind tells it to, so always be kind with the way you treat yourself. We are often so hard on ourselves, and if we can pay attention to the things we tell ourselves, without judgment, this allows us to become aware of our current thought patterns, and work on changing them if they do not serve us.

#6: Practice Self-Care

Self care is not selfish, even though we often think it is. It is like what they say on the airplane - make sure to put your mask on before helping others. In order to live our best life, we must take time to nourish our bodies through self care practices such as yoga, meditation, exercise, hobbies, etc.